Online Law School at Texas A&M Law

Texas A&M Law School offers online law degrees, but not a J.D.
St. Mary’s Law School, also in Texas, does offer an ABA approved J.D. online - discussed in the forum here.

From the A&M website:

“The law school programs are fully online or hybrid”

“Each online law school program takes approximately six semesters to complete”

“Two different degrees are offered for each program—an online LL.M. graduate degree for lawyers (for those who have already received a J.D.), and a Master of Legal Studies online (MLS) for non-lawyer professionals.
While non-lawyers may have an extra required course or pre-requisite in U.S. Law, to put them on equal footing with their lawyer compatriots, the program structures and content are then essentially the same, regardless of J.D. status.”

“The Master of Legal Studies and Master of Laws degree programs have obtained acquiescence from the American Bar Association (ABA).”

 

Texas A&M Law School is not located in College Station but rather in Fort Worth...a former Texas Wesleyan University's Law School. I am wondering what one can do with MLS—advancing the paralegal profession or legal, clerical work?

 

As I looked over the different study options, there appears to be much more utility than “paralegal.” For example, the Human Resource and employment law concentration may be very helpful for a human resource director position. A few differences from the MSHRM but a heavier focus on labor law. May be perfect for someone already in HR looking for greater responsibility.
“
Specialized Courses:

• Employment Law
• Duties, Obligations, and Workplace Rights
• Employment Discrimination
• Modern Topics in Human Resources
• Erisa and Employee Benefits
• Negotiations and Conflict Management

Core Courses:

• Introduction to the U.S. Legal System
• Contract Law and Strategies
• Principles of Regulatory Law
• Foundations of Business Law”

https://info.law.tamu.edu/hr-and-employment-law-online-degree-texas-am-university-school-of-law

 

One can do nothing with an MLS that cannot be done without an MLS.

These degrees make no sense to me. A J.D. needs no more than a year or eighteen months beyond an MLS and these are the easier parts of the full curriculum. There used to be a tax advantage to not gaining a Bar qualifying degree but I don't think there's much advantage anymore.

 

There are many online MLS and LLM programs.

 

Cornell and WashU St. Louis offer similar online law degrees.

 

I remember that. You could write off educational expenses if they didn't prepare you to enter a new field. And if the educational experience DID prepare you to enter a new field, you could NOT write it off, even if you didn't intend to do that. Thus, law school expenses in a bar-qualifying JD were not tax deductible, even if you were taking the courses to enhance your career in a business or government agency as opposed to aiming to become a lawyer.

The logic was that educational expenses to advance your current career should be deducted from your current income in that career.

Apparently, that is still the case. From the IRS:

To be deductible, your expenses must be for education that (1) maintains or improves skills needed in your present work or (2) your employer or the law requires to keep your present salary, status or job. However, even if the education meets either of these tests, the education can't be part of a program that will qualify you for a new trade or business or that you need to meet the minimal educational requirements of your present trade or business.

 

Well, I GUESS it's an above the line deduction so it MIGHT still make sense...Frankly, I don't know. That's embarrassing, too, because it's exactly the sort of thing I SHOULD know.

 

BTW, ABA "acquiescence" is not by any means the same thing as "accreditation" or "approval". It is no guarantee of program quality and shouldn't be seen as such.

 

Ah. Here's the rub (maybe?)

"If your education meets the requirements described earlier under Qualifying Work-Related Education, you may be able to deduct your education expenses as business expenses. If you aren't self-employed, you can deduct business expenses only if you are an Armed Forces reservist, qualified performing artist, fee-based state or local government official, or, for impairment-related expenses, an individual with a disability."-Pub. 970 for 2021.

So in general, if you aren't self-employed you can't deduct business expenses so you can't take the deduction at all. I seem to recall that this wasn't the case when I was doing my LL.M. This is a consequence of the suspension of the employee business expense deduction in the 2018 Tax Code changes.

Note please...DO NOT rely upon this post as legal or tax advice! I am not current in this area of tax law.

 

Once again, I don't see any justification for an MLS degree. I DO see some justification for the LL.M. but these programs are often much too expensive for what you get. Common wisdom among lawyers has been that the LL.M. in taxation is the only useful post-J.D. law degree but I'm not so sure about that. There are areas of business and regulation that have become so complex that spending a year in a taught master's program might be wise if you can keep the cost down.

 

The school is not marketing the MLS as a post JD degree. The website says, “built for non-lawyers who do not intend to practice law, aims to combine uptodate legal education with the real-world skills you may need to unlock new opportunities in the industry.”

Apparently, JD law school enrollments have dropped approximately 12 percent this year. It is no wonder the ABA has a reluctant acceptance without protest (acquiescence) to schools looking to add revenue producing online degrees. Is there utility for such degrees (EJD, MLS,etc.) obtained by non lawyers? I don’t know. “The jury is out.”

 

“The jury is still out”

I seem to recall the Department of Education requiring schools to post job outlooks and potential wages for a particular course of study???

 

My argument isn't that people shouldn't go to law school. (Most people shouldn't but that's not what I am saying here) I'm just saying that if someone decides to spend a boatload of cash and time studying law it makes very little sense not to spend a bit more and get a J.D.

 

I understand what you are saying but I don’t think these 30 credit master programs even come close to the effort, time or cost of going to a full time law school program. My theory is they were designed as a revenue booster for the school. Undoubtedly, if the schools don’t get the needed enrollments, they will be discontinued.

Another factor is that a MLS degree is a non threat level degree on a resume compared to a JD. I have seen JD holders not hired, even in careers that are unrelated to the law because of the fear level associated with hiring a JD especially if they are a practicing attorney. Sometimes too much education is a turnoff to employers.

 

Correct and correct. It started out as Dallas Forth Worth School of Law, acquired by Texas Wesleyan and then acquired by Texas A&M. Whew.

-What you can do?
Paralegal was my first thought. If a paralegal gets that degree, they might be paid more and get assigned similar work as an attorney??

From a website:

“Obtaining an online master’s in legal studies can potentially open you up to a variety of legal studies jobs as well as opportunities to further your career. We’ll explore a few career options in this guide.

• Conciliator
• Human Resources Managers
• Law Librarian
• Chief Executive
• Medical and Health Services Manager
• Climate Change Policy Analyst
• Compliance Officer
• Court Reporter
• Probation Officer

• Private Detectives and Investigator
• Employee Relations Specialist
• Sales Manager
• Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teacher
• Fraud Examiners, Investigators and Analysts
• Real Estate Broker
• Legislator
• Tax Examiner or Collector “

https://onlinemasteroflegalstudies.com/career-guides/mls/

 

Read, if I recall correctly, because this was many decades ago, that there were two reasons to get a LLM.
One, as a post JD to specialize in a specific area. Two, someone from another country has a law degree must get a LLM as a precursor, or one of several precursors, to practicing law in the USA. Don’t quote me on that.

 

EXACTLY!

 

If that is a downward trend of enrollment dropping, sooner rather than later, we might see law school changing? More law schools allowing 2 years to get a J.D. instead of 3? More online J.D.s? MLS degree to be used as a bridge, an additional year at law school to get a J.D.? Who knows?

EJD might go the way of the dinosaurs? There were problems with some people thinking that they could practice law with that degree.
The MLS might be sticking around? Just my thoughts.

Do see a utility for the MLS.
Paralegals might use that degree to get a teaching degree to teach at community colleges? Or, demand higher pay or more challenging work?
Outside of a law firm, positions that required someone to interact with attorneys might see that degree as a benefit?

What can one do with a Masters of Legal Studies.